The Howl of the Lone Wolf

Abstract: Attacks of mass-harm perpetrated by lone actor terrorists, also known as lone wolves which they are called in this study, have been increasing in the last few decades and has become one of the main national security threats in Sweden. With the increase in attacks, so has the research on this type of terrorism, looking at ideological reasons, target selection and the radicalisation process as well as comparisons to group-based terrorism. There has also been research done on the narratives that these individuals use, both before their attack and after. This thesis aims to build on that knowledge by studying how lone wolves justify their violence and how they present their victims as legit targets. The theoretical framework is based on Lois Presser’s underdog narrative, Philip Smith’s apocalyptic narrative and Mary Douglas theory on boundaries. This is done by studying eight lone wolf terrorists that are representative of the ideologies they identify with and who have inspired others to commit acts of mass-harm. The analysis shows that the lone wolves use the underdog narrative to create meaning to their violence and that the apocalyptic narrative shows why violence is the only way. In combination with the boundaries that separate the victim, it also gives their targets an active role in the violence. It becomes an apocalyptic underdog story that aim for others to join the fight.